Skiing is a popular winter sport and is generally divided into two categories-cross-country skiing (or touring) over level or relatively gentle slopes and downhill skiing over relatively steep or uneven terrain. Therefore, the ski equipment for the two types of skiing is different, cross country skis being relatively long, slender, of uniform width and light in weight, while downhill skis are shorter, wider and of heavier construction. A new type of advanced downhill ski assumes an hour glass shape, which is easier to maneuver during turns.
Cross-country skis are very effective for maneuvering in remote areas. However, if a cross-country skier climbs a hill and encounters virgin snow, the cross-country skis are not very good at floating on the snow surface. In fact, standard cross-country skis, which are narrow and of uniform width, tend to sink into fresh powder and have little control in deep snow.
The prior art has suggested various types of adapters or attachments for skis which enhance their operation for particular purposes or change the characteristics of the skis. Examples of this prior art are seen in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,410,702 issued Nov. 5, 1946 to Arsenault; 3,820,802 issued Jun. 28, 1974 to Davis; 4,006,912 issued Feb. 8, 1977 to Perlich et al.; and 4,180,275 issued Dec. 25, 1979 to Montoya. None of these inventors have addressed the problem of skiing down hill over steep terrain or through fresh powder after climbing a hill on cross-country skis.